Indiana, Trump, And NAFTA

The GOP Presidential primary reached a significant mile marker with the Indiana primary results. Donald Trump won, Ted Cruz ended his campaign, and John Kasich said “I’ll take another card”. Pundits have flocked to say Trump is in fact the presumptive nominee. Hmmm.

In his victory speech, the Donald was magnanimous and praised Cruz just hours after having trashed him. Trump even praised the other 17 original GOP candidates saying there had never been a group so qualified… and pointing out he had beaten them all. So humble.

One cannot help but wonder whether Trump will apply his primary strategies and tactics on his Democrat opponent in the general election. His primary victory came without the slightest discussion of policy or how Trump would deliver on any of his vague promises.

“Making America Great Again”, what does that look like? What Presidential policies would lead to greatness? And how do Trump’s proposals line up with the GOP platform?

Soon it will be revealed how Trump will campaign but in the interim voters are left with trying to understand his claims. For example, Trump tossed a grenade at Hillary Clinton over her remarks about coal miners in West Virginia. Trump promised to get miners in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio back to work in the mines! Will Trump be a global warming denier?

In another interview, Trump claimed Hillary’s husband Bill signed into law “the worst” trade bill “ever”. NAFTA has lead to job loses for millions of Americans, Trump claims. Hmmm.

Criticshave claimed that the NAFTA trade agreement lead directly to outsourcing of many manufacturing jobs (especially in the automotive segment) and the weakening of Union resistance to wage concessions. Critics also point to upheavals in the Mexican agricultural sector losing out to American industrial farms. These claims are essentially true but only touch the surface of what happened.

During Bill Clinton’s tenure, the US automotive industry was in sharp decline with cars arriving from Asia which, compared to American made automobiles, were equal or better in quality but significantly cheaper in cost. Americans were choosing to buy these models at the expense of American made, more expensive vehicles. Arguably even more American jobs would have been lost had tariffs and duties been strengthened and NAFTA defeated.

For sure unemployed coal miners and any dislodged manufacturing sector workers are due some consideration by the Government. Retraining, unemployment insurance, and temporary housing and living assistance would seem smart investments… even though the Republican Party is all for reducing the size of government and letting the economy take care of itself.

Trump’s populous themes are transparent attempts to appeal to certain voters and in the process turning his back on Republican orthodoxy. The GOP will learn you can’t have it both ways, helping those in need, building an even mightier military, and making government smaller.

I wonder whether Trump will recognize this before his Presidential debate?